Shaping the Curriculum: Contexts and cultures

Morris, Paul; Ling, Lo Mun

doi:10.1080/13632430050011416

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In a nutshell, if the preschool leader insists on using the linear, centralized, and technical strategies for change, the teachers may take a fidelity approach to their implementation, in which two contradictions manifest themselves: one usual practice in classroom and the other related to “rhetoric” paper documents submitted for administrative requirements. It is quite similar to the phenomenon described by Morris and Lo (2000) in their research on the curriculum innovations of primary schools in Hong Kong, in which a strong alignment existed between the administrative requirements and teachers' compliance and only some superficial changes would be made.…”

Section: Hurried Innovation: a Case Studysupporting

confidence: 71%

On curriculum change: the developing role of preschool heads in Hong Kong

2005

Intl Jnl of Educational Mgt

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PurposeThis paper aims to examine the significance of, difficulties with, and issues driving the change process of curriculum innovations as well as the roles of leadership both in formal and informal structures that could facilitate the process in Hong Kong preschools.Design/methodology/approachWith the aid of an illustrative case study, this paper discusses the implementation of a new assessment system in a local preschool and its complexity of the management of change process.FindingsThis paper illustrates the problems of technical and quick‐fix approach to change that disregards the political and cultural variables existing within the school environment. If the approach for change focuses only on the “know‐how” aspect of the new assessment system, it is likely that only some superficial changes would be made and the new practices would hardly be institutionalized as an on‐going part of the school system.Originality/valueMinimal research on management and leadership in preschools has been conducted in Hong Kong. The illustration of this case study follows other studies in the literature in revealing the important links between leadership and curricular innovations. It is argued that the developing role of leadership in creating structures for collaborative participation and promoting school culture is fundamental in this rapid‐changing educational context. From a wider perspective, sustainable development of the preschool field should not and cannot wholly rely on the efforts of individual schools. The strategic alignment of external support from a central agency and partnership with higher education institutes are the important factors contributing to school improvement.

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Section: Hurried Innovation: a Case Studysupporting

confidence: 71%

On curriculum change: the developing role of preschool heads in Hong Kong

2005

Intl Jnl of Educational Mgt

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“…Chinese societies across Asia still strongly support traditional values of interpersonal relationships, harmony, and cooperation (Cheng, 2004; Gabrenya & Hwang, 1996; Wu, 1996), but their ideologies are, to different extents, modified by modern Western values stressing individuality and competition. Though the culture of Hong Kong has been described as materialistic and pragmatic (Cheng, 2004; Leung, 1996; Morris & Lo, 2002), it still maintains a strong emphasis on family life. Chinese traditionally believe in the importance of discipline in early childhood, and at an early age, children are socialized to learn to act or stop according to adults' commands (Wu, 1996) so that they can develop self‐constraint and compliance (Chen et al., 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young Chinese Children's Authority Concepts

2009

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Using multilevel analyses, we examined the influence of domain (moral, conventional, and personal) and the familiarity of different authority figures (mother, teacher, person in charge, and stranger) in public, school, or home settings in 123 four to seven-yearold Chinese children (M = 5.6 years) in Hong Kong. Children affirmed authority more for moral and conventional than personal events, based primarily on punishment avoidance and conventional justifications. Children judged that they should obey mothers more than all other authorities and the person-in charge in the associated setting and the teacher more than strangers. At school, teachers were seen as having more authority over moral and conventional events than mothers whereas at home, mothers had more authority than teachers over all issues. With age, children increasingly evaluated mothers' authority as generalizable across contexts for the moral event; reflecting the importance of familiarity, mothers were seen as having more authority to extend her regulation outside the home, including for personal events, than teachers' authority outside the school.

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“…Although the school leader is primarily responsible for the success of transplanting new pedagogy and curricula, one reason for a lack of meaningful, sustainable reform may be that school leaders in general lack the necessary skills and vision to move schools towards a new future. This challenge is further complicated by the finding that the implementation of programs, such as those developed outside of the local cultural context, are generally unsuccessful for reasons also related to the school's leadership (Hallinger & Kantamara, 2000;Morris & Lo, 2000;Villa & Thousand, 2005). This apparent lack of success underscores the need for educational leaders to become more astutely aware of their ideas of global-mindedness that will enhance understandings across cultures and local cultural contexts.…”

Section: The Task Of the Principal In The 21 St Centurymentioning

confidence: 99%